Ford GT40

2002 Detroit Auto Show

Jan 1, 2002

The GT40—the legendary race car that was Henry Ford II's answer to Ferrari—was resurrected in Detroit as the GT40 concept. Visually and mechanically, the high-performance concept was inspired by the GT40 that captured the hearts of race fans during the 1960s. The concept casts the familiar, sleek silhouette of its namesake, yet every dimension, curve, and line is unique. Reminiscent of 1960s-era racecars, the GT40 concept sports a long front overhang, a sweeping cowl, subtle accent lines, Goodyear white-lettered tires, rear-quarter-panel cooling scoops, "ducktail" spoiler, and doors that cut into the roof. The concept is more than a foot and a half longer and stands nearly four inches taller than the original. The interior design incorporates the novel "ventilated seats" and instrument layout of the original car, with straightforward analog gauges and a large tachometer. The MOD 5.4-liter V-8 engine features polished stainless-steel header pipes, braided stainless steel fuel lines with anodized aluminum fittings, four-valve heads, a forged crankshaft, H-beam forged rods and aluminum pistons, and a supercharger with intercooler. The result is more than 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The power is transferred to the track through an RBT six-speed manual transmission. Ford's SVT engineering group developed an all-new aluminum spaceframe as the foundation. It features four-wheel independent suspension with unequal-length control arms and longitudinally mounted spring-damper units to allow for its low profile. Braking is handled by Alcon six-piston aluminum calipers with cross-drilled and vented rotors at all four corners